Repurposing the psoriasis drug Oxarol to an ointment adjuvant for the influenza vaccine

Active vitamin D analog and SARS-CoV-2 IgG after BNT162b2 vaccination in patients with hemodialysis

INTRODUCTION

Vaccination is the effective strategy for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, few studies have investigated the association between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) immunoglobulin (Ig)G and vitamin D.

METHODS

This study aimed to investigate the association between SARS-CoV-2 IgG and active vitamin D analogs in hemodialysis patients. Blood samples were collected four times: before vaccination and 30, 60, and 90 days after vaccination, BNT162b2 (Pfizer©).

RESULTS

A total of 418 patients were enrolled. The mean age was 71.1 ± 12 years. Almost two thirds of the patients were prescribed active vitamin D analogs. The distribution of SARS-CoV-2 IgG before vaccination was 235 (93-454) AU/mL. After multiple regression analyses, active vitamin D analog use was found to be associated with higher SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels from prevaccination to 90 days postvaccination.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated an association between higher SARS-CoV-2 IgG and active vitamin D analog use in hemodialysis patients.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

The study information was registered in the UMIN-CTR (UMIN 000046906).

Glycan engineering of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain elicits cross-neutralizing antibodies for SARS-related viruses

Broadly protective vaccines against SARS-related coronaviruses that may cause future outbreaks are urgently needed. The SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) comprises two regions, the core-RBD and the receptor-binding motif (RBM); the former is structurally conserved between SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV. Here, in order to elicit humoral responses to the more conserved core-RBD, we introduced N-linked glycans onto RBM surfaces of the SARS-CoV-2 RBD and used them as immunogens in a mouse model. We found that glycan addition elicited higher proportions of the core-RBD-specific germinal center (GC) B cells and antibody responses, thereby manifesting significant neutralizing activity for SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and the bat WIV1-CoV. These results have implications for the design of SARS-like virus vaccines.

Rap1 Is Essential for B-Cell Locomotion, Germinal Center Formation and Normal B-1a Cell Population

Integrin regulation by Rap1 is indispensable for lymphocyte recirculation. In mice having B-cell-specific Rap1a/b double knockouts (DKO), the number of B cells in lymph nodes decreased to approximately 4% of that of control mice, and B cells were present in the spleen and blood. Upon the immunization with NP-CGG, DKO mice demonstrated the defective GC formation in the spleen, and the reduced NP-specific antibody production. In vitro, Rap1 deficiency impaired the movement of activated B cells along the gradients of chemoattractants known to be critical for their localization in the follicles. Furthermore, B-1a cells were almost completely absent in the peritoneal cavity, spleen and blood of adult DKO mice, and the number of B-cell progenitor/precursor (B-p) were reduced in neonatal and fetal livers. However, DKO B-ps normally proliferated, and differentiated into IgM+ cells in the presence of IL-7. CXCL12-dependent migration of B-ps on the VCAM-1 was severely impaired by Rap1 deficiency. Immunostaining study of fetal livers revealed defects in the co-localization of DKO B-ps and IL-7-producing stromal cells. This study proposes that the profound effects of Rap1-deficiency on humoral responses and B-1a cell generation may be due to or in part caused by impairments of the chemoattractant-dependent positioning and the contact with stromal cells.

Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin Is Implicated in the Pathogenesis of Bullous Pemphigoid by Dendritic Cells

Objectives

Both thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) and dendritic cells (DCs) are involved in many autoimmune diseases, but the potential roles of TSLP and DCs in bullous pemphigoid (BP) have not been clarified. We sought to explore the contributions of TSLP and DCs in patients with BP.

Methods

TSLP levels in sera and blister fluids were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The TSLP expression in the BP lesional skin was detected by immunohistochemical staining. Infiltration of DCs, marked by DC-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3-grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN), and its relationship with TSLP and TSLP receptors was evaluated by immunofluorescence staining.

Results

We found that TSLP levels in sera and in blister fluids of patients with BP were higher compared to the control groups. In patients with BP, TSLP levels in sera correlated with TSLP levels in blisters. The expression of TSLP in the BP lesional skin was higher compared to the healthy controls' skin. Greater numbers of TSLP-positive cells were observed in the epidermis of patients with BP compared to the healthy controls. Greater numbers of DC-SIGN-positive cells were present in the BP lesional skin compared to the skin of controls. The expression of TSLP was highly upregulated in DC-SIGN-positive cells, and most DC-SIGN-positive cells expressed TSLP receptors.

Conclusions

We conclude that TSLP may activate DC-SIGN-positive DCs directly, which may be involved in the pathogenesis of BP.

Influenza vaccination strategies targeting the hemagglutinin stem region

Influenza is one of the best examples of highly mutable viruses that are able to escape immune surveillance. Indeed, in response to influenza seasonal infection or vaccination, the majority of the induced antibodies are strain‐specific. Current vaccine against the seasonal strains with the strategy of surveillance‐prediction‐vaccine does not cover an unmet virus strain leading to pandemic. Recently, antibodies targeting conserved epitopes on the hemagglutinin (HA) protein have been identified, albeit rarely, and they often showed broad protection. These antibody discoveries have brought the feasibility to develop a universal vaccine. Most of these antibodies bind the HA stem domain and accumulate in the memory B cell compartment. Broadly reactive stem‐biased memory responses were induced by infection with antigenically divergent influenza strains and were able to eradicate these viruses, together indicating the importance of generating memory B cells expressing high‐quality anti‐stem antibodies. Here, we emphasize recent progress in our understanding of how such memory B cells can be generated and discuss how these advances may be relevant to the quest for a universal influenza vaccine.